Bible Bridges: Part 10

Have you started reading 1 Peter yet? Have any words popped out that make you want to dig deeper? The graphic above was generated by Logos Bible software. I initiated a "Passage Guide" process right from the main page:

The Passage Guide created that collection of interesting words. I probably should not have selected the entire book, but I wanted to see what would come up. By changing it to just chapter 1, I get an entirely different set of results: 

This tool in Logos simply provides another way to stimulate thinking and study. If I click on any given word, it provides a list of all the instances in the selected passages. For instance, the word soul seems fairly significant:

Another prominent word is suffering:

As I said in the last posting, I don't want to spell out the themes of 1 Peter. Hopefully, seeing these results will spark more energy to dig deeper. And you certainly do not need Bible software to discover repeated words. Just a pen and paper with your eyes can generate these results. It's just nice to have technology to accelerate the discovery process.

Bible Bridges: Part 9

As we get started on the Bible Bridges journey, I want you to actually practice using the tools of effective Bible study. I will encourage you to fill your own tool box with items that will be useful. There will certainly be things that I will encourage you to try. Perhaps you have a few ideas to share with me, too :)

So open your Bible to 1 Peter. We are going to take some steps in a rather challenging book. I selected 1 Peter to stress the need for careful analysis and study. There are times that we are simply too familiar with certain passages (everyone studies Paul). Moreover, there is simply a wonderful mix of theology and pastoral encouragement from the Apostle that some Evangelicals neglect.

The best thing we can do before we open God's Word is to invite the Lord to be with us and open our eyes. I invite you to join me praying some personalized version of this prayer each time you study Scripture:

Dear Heavenly Father,

I am about to open your Word for the purpose of growing in applied knowledge of your ways. My desired outcome, Lord, is to be transformed more and more into Christ's likeness--to be obedient to your will. I confess that I bring many ideas contrary and foreign to the text of Scripture. Father, slow me down in how I handle the biblical text so that I may be confronted by the Holy Spirit in love and gentleness. May I see the Father's unfolding plan of salvation and the gospel of Christ in authenticity and humility. And may Jesus tenderly draw me to the brethren in worship, edification, and service.

I offer this prayer in the name of Christ Jesus my Lord.
Amen.

1 Peter Overview: What is the Theme?

Since the purpose of this journey is to unpack what Scripture says, I will not short-change the process. You are encouraged to discover the theme or overall thrust of Peter's message in the first letter of Peter on your own and in your own words. Then I encourage you to share it with others in response on this blog. That will move this process from isolation to community.

How might one discover the key themes? Read the entire letter in one sitting. Devote 20-25 minutes in just reading the letter. You might try reading it out loud. Or perhaps you have a recording of it being read. Whatever you do, read the whole letter. Don't stop to take notes or dig deeply into any words or phrases. Just read it.

Then as you get read it a few times, write down some ideas you see that perhaps leap out at you. There might be repeated words of which you should take note. Perhaps you will want to do an actual count of them. But remember: you are trying to survey the land at 30,000 feet, not do a deep dive.

Try it this week. I will offer a few other suggested steps and tools to use. Let's go!

Jared

Bible Bridges: Part 8

This is a good time to pause and reflect on the goals of this series. I'm not sure where you are in your Bible reading and study life. The reason I felt I should do an extended and open-ended series like this is to spur you on in apprehending the Bible in greater authenticity. The journey motif is intentional. No matter where you are at, whether novice or experienced, I think we can all use a perspective that pricks us a little bit.

The perspective being offered in this series is my own. Naturally, my approach has developed over many years. It is not perfect, and can still stand improvement. Thus, I invite you to join me in this journey together. I need your help to grow, just as I trust God is using me in a small way to help you!

So I thought that by going into details in my personal methodology, others might benefit. That was the original desire that prompted this series.

I recently discovered a compelling article from the Gospel Coalition: "The Danger of Forgetting How to Read the Bible". It was yet another perspective that speaks to what I am also attempting to promote, namely on becoming "technical, devotional readers". There are some necessary skills in handling God's Word well. The article rightly points that out. Those skills include things I have already introduced, as well as other methods I hope to talk about in future articles: the benefits of understanding Bible translations, "literary, cultural, and historical contexts", using some original language tools, and other resources.

Now, there may be one thing that may seem peculiar to some people reading this blog. As the Gospel Coalition article above puts it, I believe in a healthy "respect [for] the distance between our world and that of Scripture". True, the article properly warns that an excessively academic approach can be spiritually detrimental to us. However, there is a balance between our desire to hear from God for us right now and what was imparted to an ancient audience. There must be an appropriate distance allowed in our study of the Bible. This is why many Bible study guides routinely ask the question of authorship and original audience. Let us not forget: they all died over 2,000 years ago.

The really hard work, then, is to travel the distance to glean application for our lives while retaining the full weight of original context. There is much we can take away from an ongoing study and reading of the Bible. The warning I submit here now is to refrain from a completely isolated approach to your Bible study.

We really should not allow our sense of individuality override the long road already traveled by those who have proceeded us through the centuries. When I confess that "I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting", this statement of doctrinal unity was forged in the messy past of the adolescent bride of Christ. My reading of Scripture must not neglect the "great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1), and must be subject to reproof. And that reproof may create controversy at times (that's what I mean by a "messy past"). Please do not see this as excuse to create division in the church (God forbid). Rather, let this be an opportunity to learn how to hold to a type of church unity that, while gathering separately, can dialogue and hold a variety of convictions, and yet love God, His Word, and each other!

So again, you are invited to sharpen your Bible skills. Let's get going together, since we all benefit when God's Word is opened and inspected in community--even in an online and informal community as this blog may find an audience.

Blessings,
Jared Tremper

Bible Bridges: Part 7

ה (He)
Teach me, O Lord, the lifestyle prescribed by your statutes,
so that I might observe it continually.
Give me understanding so that I might observe your law,
and keep it with all my heart.
Guide me in the path of your commands,
for I delight to walk in it.
Give me a desire for your rules,
rather than for wealth gained unjustly.
Turn my eyes away from what is worthless!
Revive me with your word!
Confirm to your servant your promise,
which you made to the one who honors you.
Take away the insults that I dread!
Indeed, your regulations are good.
Look, I long for your precepts.
Revive me with your deliverance!

Ps 119.33-40 NET

This is my prayer for anyone who is taking time to journey with me on the Bible Bridges series. There may be times when I share things that appear to be overly sophisticated, off-the-wall, or just plane peculiar. Please hang in there with me! Like reading a road map to plan a route to a far away destination, this series seeks to build in you new skills in handling the Bible. Yet the point of it all is what the Psalmist prayed: transformation. 

God's Word revives. God's Word is powerful. For all the time we invest in things that do not last, let us repent. May God grant to this generation a deep desire for the ways of God, so that we agree that the world's priorities are not to be ours. I pray that we delight to walk in God's prescribed path, according to what He reveals in Scripture.

Bible Bridges: Part 6

Like many journeys, sometimes a short detour is required. If we’re fortunate, the detour actually presents a new perspective on a route that we might have missed going on the main road. In that light, this post is a bit of an excursion, but it is something that may be worth a little time to ponder.

It may surprise you that the Bible is not so easily classified in terms of being a primary or secondary source. “A primary source is a document or physical object which was written or created during the time under study. These sources were present during an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event.” 

(https://www.princeton.edu/~refdesk/primary2.html).

There are some compelling reasons to hold that the Bible is a primary source: the original writings were authored by those who had the inside scoop. I would also say they were authorized by God:

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:16, ESV).

θεόπνευστος theópneustos

“To express the sacred nature of the Scriptures, their divine origin, and their power to sanctify believers, perhaps St. Paul coined the verbal adjective theopneustos, 'breathed, inspired by God.' … the parallel text 2 Pet 1:21—“born along by the Holy Spirit, men spoke from God” (hypo pneumatos hagiou pheromenoi elalēsan apo theou anthrōpoi); Ambrosiaster’s gloss, “divinitus inspirata … cujus Deus auctor ostenditur” (“whose author is shown to be God”)…”^[1]

As witnesses to divine events and the oracles of God, the prophets of old most certainly count as primary source authors. “Thus saith the Lord” clearly denotes first-hand experience. The Gospel writers also reported eye-witness accounts and discourse, and the entire New Testament engaged in situations that were contemporary and immediate. In fact, it is a vital fact to realize the Bible was not written directly to us in our day, but to an ancient audience. In these and other ways it can be clearly argued the Bible is a primary source.

Yet at the very same time, I think an equally interesting argument could made that the Bible contains characteristics of a secondary source. “A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them” (Ibid).

As many Christians would agree, Scripture interprets Scripture (http://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/79/what-does-it-mean-that-scripture-interprets-scripture). Perhaps in that sense, the Bible is a secondary source. The New Testament often quotes the Old Testament. Many passages reference other biblical texts and help give light to their meaning. This has the hallmark of a secondary source.

Moreover, the Bible was written over a vast period of time (http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/bible-faqs/when-was-the-bible-written). Some of the writings were collected and arranged to serve as an organized religious curriculum. For instance, it is likely Moses brought some oral and written sources together in the writing of the Torah. He functioned (under the movement of the Holy Spirit) as an inspired analyst and instructor.

Indeed, the Bible a most unique collection. It is unified yet diverse. It is ancient yet relevant. It defies definition and has resisted attacks for centuries. My goal in this series is to deepen the appreciation for the Bible, and to provide a growing ability to engage the text of the holy writ faithfully. By God’s grace, let us proceed to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15 KJV).

---

^[1] Ceslas Spicq and James D. Ernest, Theological Lexicon of the New Testament (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1994), 193–194.

Bible Bridges: Part 5

I recently did some research on emerging trends in how Evangelical Bible scholars are interpreting Genesis 1-2. The recent debate between Bill Nye “the science guy” and Ken Ham of “Answers in Genesis” has stirred up emotions on many sides.

My research concluded that some conservative Christians are approaching Genesis without undue wrangling with modern science. In fact, some contend a better approach is ignore science vis-à-vis Genesis because the ancient reader (and author) simply had no view on our modern scientific questions. This can allow for science to do its own thing without a necessary conflict with Scripture (I’ll leave it at that, since this is not a commentary about science and the Bible).

Instead, some Bible scholars are wrestling with the ancient culture and use of language. I think this is a helpful shift. If we desire to handle Genesis as it was intended, we need to do a little time travel—through ancient culture, customs, and communication.

I bring this up because in part 4 we looked at selecting English Bibles. It should seem obvious: a translation requires a translator. What’s another name for a translator? Scholar.

Some Christians fear Bible scholarship. “Just me and the Bible” is their motto. Don’t get me wrong, I think there’s a real risk of getting lost in the weeds if we depend too heavily on scholarly (secondary) sources (more about that in part 6). Yet if we agree that having different translations are helpful, then we must also agree (at least in part) that Bible scholarship is valuable.

In the book I was reading, Dr. Tremper Longman III (nice name, eh?) took some time to explain why having Bible scholarship is actually ESSENTIAL to Bible study:

Notice that without Bible scholars we would not even have an English Bible to read. I never thought about it like that before, but it’s true! Even if you still exclusively read your King James Version, it took human scholarship to translate it. As he said above, “you cannot read the Bible at all without scholarly help”. Unless you have been trained to read Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic, you are essentially relying on other people’s scholarship. He does go on to say that we can, of course, grasp the critical teachings of the Bible without holding the hand of a Bible professor. However, we better be holding God’s hand! Approaching the Bible in purely academic terms apart from God is precisely what liberalism intends.

Thus, Bible scholarship is absolutely necessary if we want to study the Bible. It is one of the most essential bridges we must cross. Of course, we need God’s Spirit to illuminate the biblical text. No doubt I’ll talk about the doctrine of illumination in a future article. I just want to discourage anti-intellectualism in the name of Christianity. In other words, don’t check your brain (and the brains of other Christians) at the door…and let’s open the Bible together!

Questions

• What might be some reasons we fear Bible scholarship? Are some of those fears worth facing?
• How would you define "conservationism" and "liberalism" as it relates to the Bible and Christianity?

Prayer

Our Father, we are such frail and finite creatures. While creating us in your image, we still are so limited in faculty and faith. Grant that we would wrestle with our fears in this area of Bible scholarship so that we come to a place where we can see our need for others. May we discern unwholesome attempts to derail our faith through unbelieving scholarship, and hold to that which affirms sound doctrine. In Christ's holy name. Amen.

References

Averbeck, Richard E., et al. Reading Genesis 1-2: An Evangelical Conversation. Edited by J. Daryl Charles. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC, 2013.

Bible Bridges: Part 4

There was a time not many years ago when English speaking congregations had but one Bible to choose. The venerable King James Bible (KJV) has indeed stood the test of time as a much loved and revered translation. When it is read aloud, even today, it generates respect and elevates the public reading of Scripture.

I personally grew up with a slightly modified version of the KJV: the Scofield Reference Bible (ca 1917) not only helped render some words in a bit more contemporary gloss for modern readers (e.g. 1 Corinthians 13 "charity" became "love"); C. I. Scofield's famous notes jump-started my Bible study as a young person. Today, I'll admit I'm a bit more cautious about Mr. Scofield's notes, but it was nice to have a commentary right there in my Bible! Many people have Study Bibles -- that is a mixed blessing, and we'll talk more about that soon.

Anyway, when I graduated from High School, my church gave me a New International Version (NIV). I began to use that version along side my trusty Scofield KJV. Then as I attended Moody Bible Institute in 1992, I was required to procure the New American Standard (NAS) for "serious study in the inductive method". More on inductive study on another installment!

My journey has since taken me to the New Living Translation (NLT 1996 and NLT second edition 2004), the English Standard Version (ESV), the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), the New English Translation (NET), and the Lexham English Bible (LEB). To learn more about these and other translations, check out BibleStudyTools.com. I will refrain from commenting on the quality of these English translations. Perhaps I will offer my evaluation down the road. I eschew a competitive or superior attitude about English Bibles.

The take home point today: the value in Bible study (whether in groups or on your own) is in the comparison and contrast that one can do between the translations. In seeing why one Bible differs in a gloss (a word choice) can spark deeper reflection in the study. A good method for personal study would be to take two Bible translations (say ESV and HCSB) and use them side-by-side. Observe carefully how the word choices and even word order impacts how you understand a passage. It's really thrilling to engage in this kind of study!

Questions

1. Why would Bible translators use different words when translating from ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek? What does that tell you?
2. What have you heard about so-called "word studies"? Why do you think pastors often talk about that in their sermons?
3. How might we evaluate modern (or classic) English translations? How might you handle it if a fellow Christian criticizes your favorite English Translation?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we bless your name for revealing to us your great plan of redemption in the Bible. Thank you, Lord, for protecting your Word despite criticism, attacks, and attempts to destroy the Bible. May we so revere your precious letter to us by humbly approaching the issue of Bible translations with gentleness, meekness, and charity. May the life of Christ show brightly in our lives as a result of a proper handling of the Word of God, by whom we approach the throne of grace. Amen.

Bible Bridges: Part 3

Have you ever looked at people's photo albums that are posted on social media? If you really do take a few minutes to scan them, it is likely the ones you pause on for a moment contain people. Photographs grab our emotions best when framed with stunning scenery and staged with people in unplanned, candid sots. That is even truer when it's with our dearest loved ones! As stunning as a rainbow might be, it is more meaningful when shared with other people. It is in living community that our travels yield the most meaning.

As we get a little further on this journey of an interactive Bible study, there is another important aspect about our travel plans: the biblical pattern of Bible study is in with other people. This is precisely why I've described this as interactive. Too often we think of our walk with Christ in isolated individualism. My walk. My devotional time. My quiet time. All these personal moments are not utterly without value, but the early church knew nothing of doing this journey alone.

Allow me to illustrate this:

   “And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:40–47, ESV)

There is so much that could be unpacked here. For now, notice the plural pronouns. The dramatic events leading to Peter's sermon culminated in a mass conversion. This must have been an amazing scene! Can you picture it? 3,000 converts and none of them wanted to do this alone. 

Note that Acts 2:42 shows they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching. It is fair to say, given that many of these converts had a strong background in the Hebrew Bible (we call that the Old Testament), that this devotion was an energized and interactive study. As Peter's sermon unpacked the implications of Christ's death and resurrection, they came to realize their need for repentance -- not only from their sins, but from a false view of Jesus. They sought to be retrained in handling Scripture. That interactive study was not done in isolation, but in the growing community founded on the Good News of Christ!

Questions

1. Do you agree that isolated Bible study is not the ideal approach? Are there risks to doing this exclusively by yourself? How far should this be taken? Should we never study by ourselves? Or just augment our time in the Word with others?
2. What are the best memories you have of a group Bible study that really challenged you to examine the Scripture well? Did it confront a presupposition you held? Did you realize there was a sin in your life that needed the public confession that James 5:16 affirms is a normal way of life for believers?
3. How might we reflect and change our extreme individualism that is so common in our day? What do you think would be different in a Christian community that really did some of what Acts 2 talks about?

Prayer

Lord, I confess that I have been too isolated from the brethren. I seek your help to better live life together with brothers and sisters in Christ. May the Father grant the church a renewed sense of a family that does this journey together, in Christ our Lord. Amen.

Bible Bridges: Part 2

Have you ever driven on a very long bridge covering more than a mile of ocean blue? It’s exciting to drive over water at high speeds. However, speed on a journey seldom yields the greatest enjoyment. Sometimes the best trips are when we get out of our car and gaze at the scenery, or perhaps even to do a little fishing!

Crossing bridges is an idea I want to apply to approaching the Bible. I think it’s a very helpful concept, and hopefully it will illuminate your path. The idea of a bridge communicates a gulf between where we are and where we are heading. It could be a small stream, the mighty Mississippi, or even coastal ocean waterways. The bridge is a tool to get you to the other side safe and sound. But the bridge can also offer you a vantage point to take in the views and better grasp the landscape. This bridge metaphor as applied to Bible study has a number of drivers (yeah, pun intended):

First, there is a worthwhile destination. Just like driving over that bridge, we want to get somewhere. When getting behind the wheel of a Bible study, we must recognize this is no trip to the corner drugstore. The ultimate destination is the kingdom of heaven.

Second, it will take discipline and commitment. Think Pilgrim’s Progress! There will be a few twists and turns, pitfalls, discouragements, moments of joy, diversions, peril, but ultimately the glorious vision of God: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

Lastly, just like some very tall bridges, when crossing the vast distances of God’s revealed story, there is a story arc. In one real sense, the Bible is a unified story: there is a beginning to the narrative, rising action, climax, and denouement. The Bible is a divinely woven script (perhaps why we call it “Scripture).

Questions

1. What kind of reading strategies do you find would best suit approaching the biblical text? Bible in a year? One Bible book each month? Following a lectionary calendar?
2. How might you benefit from reading from portions of the Bible differently, like you would a book? Think big picture instead of short snippets of Scripture. Could you put together enough of the larger story to explain it to a child?
3. What would it look like to substitute some hours in a week you might currently spend watching TV, reading Facebook, or pouring energies into life’s diversions, and instead devote yourself to the reading Scripture? Is there is 30 minutes in your day you could redeem for the sake of focused Bible time?

Prayer

May the Lord of heaven draw us to His precious Word. May our heavenly Father make the mind of Christ so penetrate us that our loved ones, friends, and coworkers sense there is something changing in us. The Lord grant us a lasting desire to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, and situate our lives in His living presence through the reading of Scripture. And may we ponder afresh the love of God poured out through Christ on the cross, in whose name I pray. Amen.